This disclosure relates to oxidizing fuel in a gas turbine system. In a conventional gas turbine system, fuel is combusted as it is injected into pressurized air, thereby heating and increasing the energy of the gas. The energy is then extracted from the heated gas with a turbine which converts the energy into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy may be used to drive another device, for example, a generator. The combustion process is often initiated by an ignition source (e.g. an open flame). Due to the high temperature of the ignition source and the high concentration of the fuel as it enters the air, the combustion is very rapid and nearly instantaneous. Other gas turbine systems may additionally or alternatively utilize catalyst materials (e.g. platinum) to combust the fuel. While combustion in such catalytic combustion systems can be less rapid than that initiated by an ignition source, it is nonetheless rapid (e.g. less than 0.1 second).